Janie as a Figure of Growth

Filed under: Group B — hurston at 12:36 am on Thursday, November 17, 2005

It struck me how independent Janie is within two different situations. Within one, she is calm, collected, obedient (when she talks to Nanny), and within another she is rebellious and independent (after her conversation with Starks opens her eyes), but within both she seems to be hindered by the inability to form her own opinions. This seems to speak of the role of women in Hurston’s world. Janie is constantly being told what to do. When Joe Starks says to Janie, “You ain’t got no mo’ business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday,” she tells her husband when he asks her to use that plow that “Youse in yo’ place and A’m in mine” (Hurston, 28, 30). When she had fist heard of her marrying Logan, Janie was distraught, and after a fierce convincing by her Nanny, she is convinced that she is “gointer love him” (Hurston 22).

It seems as though Janie personifies the woman who Hurson defines as a subject to her surroundings. This woman must learn to grow, to become her won woman and be able to think on her own. When she and Jo Starks venture into a new town, a similie for her need for growth is seen when Joe discovers there is no mayor in the town.

“Ain’t got no Mayor! Well, who tells y’all what to do?”

“Nobody. Everybody’s grown.” (Hurston 33).

            Perhaps once Janie is able to free herself from the people who tell her what to do (her Nanny, her husbands, ect.) She will be able to grow and have her own identity, and possibly black women of Hurston’s time will be able to grow and stand on their own feet, and none of them will need a mayor.

 

–Mary

 



6 Comments

37

   hurston

November 17, 2005 @ 2:21 am

I think Janie is struggling with figuring out who she is. The fact that she has a desire to be independent is evident. She clearly has her own opinions and is not afraid to voice them. I think she is trying ot figure out what she needs and how to get it. I think the idea of falling in love was instilled in Janie’s mind from a young age. She does not seem like the kind of person who can be satisfied with a relationship until she finds the man she loves, because the man she loves is the man she will marry. Until Janie can find some of the answers she is looking for in life, she seems like she will be a bit unsure in her opinions and a bit insecure with her own identity.

EMILY DESTEFANO

39

   hurston

November 17, 2005 @ 2:30 am

I agree with Mary in that Janie is a very strong and independent character. This struck me a couple different times throughout the first novel. Obviously, she was strong enough to leave Killicks, which for a woman in that time was very rare. I was also struck by the way Janie stands up for herself and has her own opinions. In a very male-dominated society, she is able to find a voice for herself. For instance, when Joe Starks says that Janie is “uh woman and her place is in de home” (Hurston 41), Janie “made her face laugh after a short pause, but it wasn’t too easy… It must have been the way Joe spoke without giving her a chance to say anything one way or another that took the bloom of of things” (Hurston 41). It surprised me in a way that Janie had the courage to stand up for herself and realize that it wasn’t fair for Joe, or for Logan Killicks, to have complete control of her. I think i can safely infer that Janie’s self determination can only grow as her story progresses, and she will soon find some answers to her questions about life. -Lauren

p.s. Is it just my computer, or are all the times messed up?  Because it says I posted on Nov. 17th, and it’s definitely still Nov. 16th…but hey, whatever.

40

   hurston

November 17, 2005 @ 2:42 am

Yes, Lauren, the times are messed up.
Emily, while Janis is searching for someone she truly loves and to marry him but, I disagree when you say the idea of love was in stilled at her from a young age. Janie has yet to have feelings of love, she is too young to experience it. That is why when she married Logan she felt like she needed to love him and that was it. She didn’t know what the feeling was exactly but she will just go one from marriage to marriage until she realizes what she truly wants which could be independence or love or maybe both.
Andy – 11-16-05

93

   hurston

November 28, 2005 @ 5:33 am

I strongly agree with what Andy wrote. Along with Andy, i believe that Janie is yet to experience love. Not only is she too young, but she was rushed into a relationship. Love does not occur overnight, it takes time. People have to get to know eachother, which is somethinh Janie and Logan rarely did. The two almost never talked, making it almost impossible to love one another. I feel that Janie rushed into the relationship, because she was looking for a chance to gain her voice and confidence. Independence seems much more important to Janie then love.

-JAY REIN-

100

   hurston

November 29, 2005 @ 1:31 am

I agree with Emily, Lauren, and Andy. While I believe that Janie did not have love instilled in her from childhood, I do believe that Emily’s point that Janie is struggling to figure out who she really is. In my research for literary criticism, I have been evaluating the vocalization of Janie and other characters. One piece of criticism I found, written by Deborah Clarke, highlights Hurston’s fight for African American individuality. Clarke summarizes Hurston’s beliefs as “the non-white population becomes mere spectacle, “lay figures” to be taken in “at a glance” by white eyes” (3). This shows how Hurston’s views of poor treatment towards the blacks may lead to Janie’s confusion, especially when we learn in chapter 2 that she is raised with the white Washburn children. Janie’s voice becomes muted instantly when she finds that she is black and the minority, so up to that point, she never really knew anything about herself. Janie strives to try and find herself and I believe that in Logan she thought that she could find an outlet for her voice. Yet Janie is once again disappointed when she looks into the mirror of her life and finds she just married Logan for the sake of having somebody, and that is when she believes that Jody may be her next outlet.
–Nicole Gollmer–

223

   Here's a Question....

April 30, 2006 @ 9:32 pm

Doesn’t anyone notice that Janie is supposed to be narrating the novel, and Hurston refers to Janie in every narration as “she”. Janie is supposed to have found her voice during the story. It is told in flashback. The story is written in third and first person narration, meanwhile- if we are supposed to be following the outline of the book- Janie should be telling this entire story.

Didn’t anyone else see this???

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